communities.

Chuukese and Marshallese are spoken in the islands of Micronesia and among peole of Micronesian heritage in Hawai'i.

Edmund Calaycay, Jr. became the first Ilokano court interpreter in the nation when he earned his certification through the Judiciary's new certification program for court interpreters in October.

Hawai`i is the first state to test for court interpreter certification in the

Ilokano language. In the upcoming examination cycle, the Judiciary will be the first court system in the nation to orally test court interpreters in the Chuukese and Marshallese languages.

Hawai`i contracted the National Center for State Courts

to develop the two court interpreting oral exams, which will be administered free to those deemed eligible to take the exams in April 2008.

The graduated requirements for certification include completion and acceptance of the certification program application form; successful completion of a two-day

orientation workshop; achieving a passing score on written English proficiency and court interpreter ethics exams; clearing a criminal background check; and achieving a passing score on an interpreting skills oral exam in English and another language.

Court interpreters work on a freelance basis as independent contractors in criminal or certain civil cases when parties or witnesses are unable to hear, understand, speak or use English sufficiently. Depending on their performance on the written and oral exams, court interpreters are paid between $25 to $55 per hour.

Anyone fluent in English and in another language who would like to become a certified court interpreter during the next examination period must apply by Dec. 14. Application forms are available at the Office on Equality and Access to the